Batman: Sign of the Question
by Mandalore the Maximum
Summary: The first chapter of a larger series set in the DC Universe. Bruce Wayne wasn't always the bad ass he's often seen as. This story is about how he goes from a new comer into the World's Greatest Detective. Disclaimer: All of these characters are owned by DC and Warner Brothers.
1. Prologue

**Happy New Year, everyone. Mandalore here, now this will be the first in a new series I've been wanting to do for a long while. Basically my take on what the DCEU should have done. Special thanks to Threebranch for the idea for the title. So without further delay enjoy.**

**Prologue**

A man stood outside of Wayne Manor, walking cane in hand. He walked through the garden as the doors opened. The forty year old war veteran looked over to see a sign that read '**Thomas Wayne for Mayor**'. He shook his head at the sheer openness of the Wayne Family. Upon reaching the gate of the house he knocked and a man dressed like a butler walked out.

"Can I help you?" the butler asked.

"Yes, I'm here to see Thomas Wayne." The man responded "My name is Alfred Pennyworth."

"Oh, yes. Mr. Pennyworth. Please, come right in, Mr. Wayne was expecting you." The Butler opened the door wide enough for Alfred to go inside.

Alfred walked into a large room filled with various people from what looked like a political campaign celebrating. A banner hung from a nearby wall which read '**Thomas Wayne for Mayor**'. Sitting at one of the many chairs was a man in his thirties with groomed brown hair in a black suit with an electoral pin.

"Alfred, it's good to see you." The man said, shaking Alfred's hand.

"The feeling is mutual, Mr. Wayne." Alfred responded while looking around the house. "I can see that the medical-tech company is going well."

Thomas chuckled at Alfred's comment "Actually, it was Martha's great-grandfather who built this place."

The two began walking towards the gathering of people.

"I've read up on the opposing candidate." Alfred commented "Claims to be a man of the people, I doubt he'll stand a chance."

"Don't worry about him, Alfred." Thomas said reassuringly "This Benito J. Gal is neither a prominent nor influential figure in Gotham as a whole. The election isn't for another week, and I assure you this clown has nothing that could change that."

"Would you just stop worrying and just enjoy the moment?" Said a voice coming into the room. The two turned to see a beautiful young woman in a long red dress wearing a pearl necklace and an electoral pin. She had short blonde hair and light blue eyes.

"Alfred, I would like you to meet my wife and campaign manager, Martha." Thomas introduced her "Martha, this is Alfred Pennyworth."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pennyworth. Thomas has told me so much about you."

"The pleasure is all mine, madam."

"You should meet our son, Bruce." Martha turned her head towards the door "Bruce, could you please come here? I want you to meet someone." Just then a boy, not a year over eight, came out running into the room and towards the front door.

"Come on" the boy shouted "We have to hurry or we're gonna miss the movie."

Alfred turned towards Thomas with a look of shock on his face "You're not serious, are you?" he asked, somewhat baffled "The streets of Gotham are dangerous, especially at night. Perhaps I should come with you, as your bodyguard."

"No, Alfred. We're fine." Thomas objected.

"Fine? You're a candidate running for the position of Mayor of Gotham, some might see you as someone to admire, but to others you're a target."

"I understand your concern, Alfred, but every week we go out as a family and I'm not gonna change that. All I want is for my son to live a normal life."

Alfred's look hardened at Thomas' words "Normal?" The war veteran threw his arms up "_This_ isn't normal. Butlers, cooks, housekeepers, mansions. Being a Wayne is not normal."

"I know that, Alfred. I just spend too much time in the company that I don't spend as much time with my family. I don't want my son growing up with the wrong idea. Well, I think I should go, Bruce and Martha are waiting for me." Thomas walked out of the main door to join his wife and son. Alfred stood there as the family drove off.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Wayne Manor**

Bruce stood in front of his tattered suit. The material designed in secret by Lucius Fox proved resilient, but he felt as if he was wasting his life. He examined the cloth like material, the greyish contrast, the long black cape, mask, boots and gloves, and the bat emblem in the center.

Bruce thought back to his humiliating display several hours ago. Passing his fingers through his short black hair, Bruce gave off a sigh "So much for my first night out." He whispered under his breath "Is this really my life now?"

Suddenly the echo of approaching footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts. Bruce turned to see an elder man wearing a typical butler suit. The man had short curly greying black hair with a short beard across his face and blue eyes. He walked using a walking cane. The butler walked closer to Bruce who was looking at the tattered suit.

"Why a bat?" he asked "Is it because of that time at the mausoleum? When we opened it, a bunch of them came out flying and you got scared? That was thirteen years ago, you were a child back then."

"I was frightened that day." Bruce responded.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but the people you're after don't get scared."

"Everyone gets scared, Alfred." Bruce walked up to a nearby table and took out a broken grappling hook. The tangled wires coming out of the inner mechanism.

"You know, I never thought it would go like this." Alfred stated resting his cane against the wall. "I've taught you everything I know, but I feel like it's time for me to leave. I didn't train you so you would dress up as a bat and go out every night on some insane crusade."

"I'm not crazy, Alfred." Bruce protested "I am simply doing what the police and corrupt officials refuse to do. To make sure that what happened to me doesn't happen to anyone else."

"Yes, and you did an impressive job on your first night." Alfred took his cane and pointed at the grappling hook "You let the guy you were chasing get away and one of your tools broke in the process. If you keep this up, you'll get yourself killed."

Bruce lowered his head to the ground "I know what I'm doing, Alfred." He half shouted. Alfred put his cane down.

"Fine" he whispered "But if we're gonna do this, we need something better than this" he pointed back at the grappling hook "We need guns."

"We talked about this, Alfred. No guns, no killings."

"And I'll tell you again. Most of these people are corrupt; they have their ways to evade being punished by the law. Gadgets are will not be enough, they simply won't work."

Bruce turned towards the door. "I'll find someone who'll make them work." He then walked out the door towards the main gate. Alfred shook his head at the conversation they had.

"I hope you're right."

**Gotham City Police Department**

The entire conversation sounded like something completely crazy. A man dressed up as a bat chasing a wanted man through the streets of Gotham. Detective Jim Gordon stood in front of both the captain and the district attorney. What exactly was going on here? The amount of inmates at Arkham Asylum outnumbering the number of citizens in Gotham seemed more believable by comparison.

"This sounds outlandish" Gordon commented "Where did this 'Bat-Man' come from?"

"I'll admit it does sound outlandish, more so than the rumors of a crocodile in the sewers" The captain commented "But we have direct orders from the mayor to look into it."

"He's mad" the District Attorney commented "He must be caught and locked up in Arkham Asylum."

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet, Mr. Dent." Gordon defended "We don't know his intentions, for all we know he could be here to help."

"Help us or the criminals? He can't simply run around dressed like a bat every night and hunt down criminals. He is taking the law into his own hands."

"We all know those laws were made by corrupt officials." Gordon shot back "The ones who really run this city. You may claim that you're a man of the law, Mr. Dent, but the people who made those laws found a way so that they can't be touched by them."

"This 'Bat-man' is a criminal no different than Falcone and his goons. He belongs in Arkham not in the streets."

"I think the same can be said about you." Dent turned towards Gordon. "You think I don't know about your condition, Dent? About that voice in your head? Does that mean _you _belong in Arkham?"

Harvey then reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. "Do you wanna test your luck, Gordon?"

"Enough, both of you." The captain shouted, getting both men's attention. "Jim now is not the time for this."

Gordon lowered his head to the ground "I'm sorry, Captain" he said before walking out of the office.

**Wayne Enterprises Medical Group Building**

Lucius Fox sat in his office. Not long ago, he had become the CEO of Wayne Enterprises at the behest of his old friend Thomas Wayne's son Bruce. The middle aged man was a renowned engineer and financier, perfect for the job.

Lucius looked out the window when he noticed a shadow looming over him; he turned to see the figure of a man wearing a black mask that resembled a bat and a long black cape standing several feet away from him.

"You know, there's a door there." Lucius said jokingly as the figure walked towards him. The figure then removed his mask to reveal the face of Bruce Wayne.

"It's good to see you, Lucius." He stated.

"The feeling is mutual, Mr. Wayne. It's not every day your employer pays you a visit while dressed as a bat."

"I need your help with something." Bruce then took out a broken grappling hook "I was wondering if you could fix it." Lucius took the grappling hook in hand and began to examine it.

"Well, looks like the hook's inner mechanism is broken. The wire entangled because of this. I hate to tell you, Mr. Wayne, but it seems this hook is broken beyond repair." Bruce closed his eyes and nodded understandingly. "However, I have something I want to show you." Lucius then opened the drawer on his desk "This is something I've been working on for a while." He reached in and pulled out a more advanced looking grappling hook "This will hopefully be more durable and useful than the previous one."

Bruce smiled as he took the gadget and placed it on his belt "Thanks, Lucius."

"Next time you visit, I'd like to show you a little something I've been working on."

"If you don't mind, I'd like for you to keep this between us."

Lucius chuckled "I have a feeling Mr. Pennyworth will figure it out eventually if he hasn't already."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Undisclosed Location in Gotham**

Inside a room in an apartment in Gotham City sat a man wearing a green suit and a top hat with a question mark on it. Hanging on the wall were several newspaper clippings, several had the picture of a young dark skinned woman with short brown hair, and the rest were of a mysterious black hooded figure leaping off of a building. The image used for said clipping was a detailed sketch and not a picture, thus it wasn't very clear.

The man twirled a question mark shaped cane in his hand while scratching his chin with the other hand. He had a look of interest in his eyes, almost as if he was being tempted to do something.

"Who is 'Bat-Man'?" he said to himself, his delight increasing "What a riddle this is."

The man rose from his chair and looked to a framed picture of the same woman from the clippings "I'll prove to you that I'm better than you gave me credit for, Heather." He whispered to the picture, almost as if he was talking to someone "I'll show you how great I truly am by solving this riddle."

The man then rose to his feet and pointed his cane towards the sketch of the so-called Bat vigilante of Gotham. "I accept your challenge, Batman. Let us prove which of us has the superior mind."

**Gotham District Attorney's Office**

Harvey stood by the window, flipping a coin in his hand. His mind was in shambles, he did not expect this to happen. This 'Bat-man' as they now called him just appeared out of nowhere and started doing what the police was supposed to do. And what's worse, Gordon stepped out of line.

"This 'Bat-Man' belongs in Arkham. He's breaking the law, and needs to be stopped." Harvey said to himself as he continued flipping the coin in his hand.

"If he really does belong there, why don't you stop him yourself, Harvey." Said a dark, sinister voice.

"I can't just do it; there are procedures that need to be followed."

"Who really cares about procedures in this city, Harvey? Gordon said it himself, this entire city is corrupt and you know it." Harvey looked out the window to see a police car pass by an alleyway. He noticed a young man trying to rape a young girl and the police driving by as if nothing was happening. The officers looked away as the woman screamed for the man to stop.

Harvey closed his fist as he saw this inaction happening in front of him.

"I can't, I made an oath to be different when I became District Attorney. I can't make an exception with this vigilante."

"And what will you do when your system fails you, Harvey?"

"The system has never failed me." The dark voice began laughing.

"Look around you, Harvey. No one, not even the Mayor is doing anything to help the ones in this city who suffer."

More screams came from the city streets, Harvey looked out to see a teenager being taken by members of the Falcone Crime Family. The teen was being dragged towards the same alleyway where that poor girl was being rapped. Moments later there was a gunshot as Falcone's men walked out along with the rapist from earlier. One of the men was talking to the rapist as if they were childhood friends. The same girl then came out, beaten and bleeding crying out for help, but her cries went unheard.

"Open your eyes, Harvey. This city is lost, the only one who refuses to see it is you."

Harvey closed his eyes and turned to his desk. There, he looked through the pages of a newspaper, looking at a specific article discussing sightings of a crocodile in the city sewers.

"What people come up with these days."

**Gotham City Sewers**

"Man, it stinks down here" Jim complained as the stench of the sewer water pierced his nose.

"Quit complaining, Jim. We're just doing checkup around here." Jacob told him "Captain wants us looking into this 'Killer Croc' business people keep talking about."

Jim Gordon and his partner Jacob Weaver walked through the sewers of Gotham City following supposed rumors of a crocodile living there. At first it sounded like a wild goose chase, until several people came out of the sewers with claw and bite marks on them. People kept attributing this to a large crocodile trying to eat them.

At first the police thought this sounded ridiculous, but then several people began calling the Mayor's office, demanding an investigation.

The Captain, under pressure from the Mayor, sent Gordon and Weaver to investigate. The two felt it would be a waste of their time.

"This is ridiculous, Jacob" Gordon shouted "Why do _we _have to investigate some wide spread paranoia?"

"I know how you feel, Jim." Weaver responded "If you ask me, these people just wanted their twelve minutes of fame."

Gordon took out his flashlight and began looking around. The darkness of the sewers made it hard for them to see, and the stench made it even worse. Then, out of nowhere, Gordon felt something move.

"What was that?" He pulled out his gun and pointed it towards the water.

"Geez, Gordon, calm down it was probably a rat." Weaver then turned to see a large figure standing in front of him; the two detectives began to tremble at the sight of a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

"That's not a rat" Gordon shouted as the two began shooting at the giant mass standing in front of them, however, the bullets seemed to have no effect on the creature. The large mass of pure muscle growled at the two detectives before punching Weaver in the face. Gordon ran to his partner before picking him up. "Let's get the Hell outta here."

The two began to run out of the sewers as the large creature walked off in the opposite direction.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Gotham City General Hospital (3 years ago)**

It seemed like just another work day at the hospital, but not Dr. Heather Graham. Living in a lawless city meant the hospital was always busy. There were people with bruises, stab wounds, several gun shots, etc. Today's special? Twenty civilians and twelve police officers injured in a shooting with the Falcone Crime Family.

The dark skinned woman walked around the hospital as several members of the Red Hood gang were being taken into the emergency room. Suddenly she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes, she smiled and began to giggle.

"Excuse me, Doctor, but I believe I have an appointment for today." Said a male voice, Heather removed the hands from her eyes and turned to face a tall, slim man wearing a green dress shirt and a black pair of pants.

"Hi, Ed." She said before embracing him in a tight hug, her fingers ruffling his dark brown hair "What are you doing here? You know I'm working."

"Well, I came to give you this" Ed then pulled out a large box before opening it to reveal a pearl necklace.

"Oh, Ed. What's this?" Heather covered her mouth with her hands.

"Did you forget? It's our anniversary." He took the necklace and hung it on her neck.

"Thanks, Ed, but I can't wear it while I'm at work." Heather took off the necklace and put it in her pocket "But I promise I'll wear it tonight at the restaurant."

"Good, then I'll see you then, Dr. Graham." He said as he walked towards the door.

"Until then, Mr. Nygma." She responded playfully and he exited the building. As soon as he left, her look saddened. She took the necklace, a single tear rolling down her face. "I hope you don't take it the wrong way."

**Somewhere in Gotham City's Residential Region (Present Day)**

The shift had been over two hours ago and all the workers were returning home. The elevator seemed quiet. All the people on board were calm, their hard work day was over and they could finally relax.

As the people began chatting when they noticed something. Instead of stopping at the selected floors the elevator continued going up.

"What the?" said a man as he turned to the elevator controls "Why hasn't it stopped? I was supposed to get off two floors ago." The elevator kept rising until it reached the final floor.

"Is there a problem?" A voice asked on the elevator's intercom.

"Yes, I think the elevator's broken"

"I know, and one of two things will happen so listen carefully. There is a man who lives on the 13th floor of this building, but every morning he would press the ground button to go to work. When he got home, he would press the 12th button and walk the rest of the way. Why?"

The people in the elevator turned to each other "What is this? Some kind of game?"

"If you answer correctly, the doors will open. Answer _incorrectly_ and the elevator's suspension cable will break and you'll fall all the way down."

Everyone in the elevator began to panic at the voice's words.

"Not even a guess?"

A woman then stepped forward "Was the elevator broken?" she asked

"What kind of riddle would that be? The answer was 'He wasn't tall enough to reach the 13th button'."

At that moment the elevator began to fall until it crashed at the bottom floor.

**Streets of Gotham**

A group of men from Falcone's criminal empire gathered around a roof top. They acted as if they were celebrating. Among them was Alberto Falcone, the younger son of Carmine Falcone. The young man had a smug look on his face.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Holiday" said one of the men "You actually managed to get your hands on that girl."

"Yeah, you definitely showed her whose boss" said another.

"Well, I wasn't gonna take 'no' for an answer" Alberto said proudly "If that little slut thought her precious boyfriend was better than me then we'll see how long they last now that he's in a wheelchair. And, if the Mayor knows what's good for him, he'll keep the police off my back." The group then began to laugh.

"The police are the last thing you should worry about." Said a rough, deep voice. The group turned to see a dark figure standing at the ledge of the rooftop.

"Looks like we got a party crasher." Said one of the men as he reached for a gun "And it's none other than Batman himself."

"So, you think you can just come into our city and do whatever you want?" Alberto spoke up.

"This city doesn't belong to scum like you. I'm here to make sure you end up where you belong, a cell in Iron Heights Prison"

The group charged forward at the masked vigilante, they began to throw punches at him, but Batman dodged and countered them. Punching one of them in the face and kicking another on the shin. Several of them pointed their guns at him, which lead to him throwing several small bat-shaped boomerangs at them, knocking the weapons from their hands. Seeing his men taken down, Alberto charged at Batman, the vigilante saw this coming and moved out of the way causing the Crime Lord's son to fall off the ledge.

The vigilante reached to catch him, Alberto looked up as the vigilante tried to pull him upward. Alberto began to sweat, his hands becoming slippery. Batman tried to keep his hold on him, but there was little he could do. Alberto's hand slipped through the vigilante's glove and the Crime Lord's son fell to the city streets, hitting his head on the concrete.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Gotham City Police Department**

Gordon and Weaver certainly didn't expect the rumors of this 'Killer Croc' to be real. Especially since they had to report what they discovered while investigating the sewers. However, as soon as they entered the Captain's office, they realized they weren't prepared for the scene that unfolded inside.

"Care to explain _this_, Gordon?" The Captain shouted tossing a folder labeled '**Autopsy Report**' Gordon reached for the folder before opening it, only for his eyes to widen when he saw the picture. It was a young man with long black hair and a short trimmed mustache on his upper lip. Gordon's hands began to tremble when he read the name on the file.

"Alberto Falcone?" he asked in disbelief.

"Looks like this 'Bat-man' character isn't just a self-appointed vigilante, he's also a cold-blooded murderer." Weaver pointed out.

"The Mayor is pissed and Carmine Falcone wants Batman's head on a silver plate." The Captain turned towards the window, "But it seems Batman is the least of our worries. Last night, an elevator fell from the top floor of a building. There were five people inside, now they're dead. The only clue the forensics where able to find was a question mark painted onto the wall along with this."

The captain handed a card with a question mark on one side and a message on the other, Gordon took the card and began to read the message. "What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every race?"

"We don't know what it is or who left it there. Most likely the person responsible for that crime."

"It's a riddle." Said a voice, the three policemen turned to see Batman standing by the window, the three men pointed their guns towards the bat-themed vigilante. "That won't be necessary; I'm on your side."

"Tell that to the man you murdered." The captain shouted.

"I didn't murder anyone; Alberto Falcone caused his own death."

Gordon lowered his gun and walked calmly towards the masked man. "How can you be sure?"

"It's in the writing. All of these things have something in common, not the concepts but the words themselves. The letter 'E'."

The captain looked at Gordon "Arrest him." He demanded.

"Why? He's only doing what everyone here is too afraid to do. What needs to be done."

"Gordon." The captain growled at his defiance. Gordon ignored his as he approached the vigilante.

"If you're willing to help, I'll speak with the mayor on your behave."

"Glad to hear it, detective Gordon."

**Somewhere in Gotham City's Residential Region**

Heather Graham was on the phone, talking with her fiancé. She tried her best to calm him down. He was beyond frantic

"Please, Harvey. You need to calm down."

"_It's getting worse, Heather. I need a stronger dose._"

"You know that's not recommended."

"_Heather, please. I'm not asking for anything else; just help me deal with this problem._"

"Harvey, a split personality disorder isn't something that can be treated with prescribed medication. I'd advise you to see a psychiatrist."

"_So that's it, huh? You're saying I should just go over to Arkham, aren't you?_"

"What? No, Harvey. Don't be ridiculous." Just then, the call ended quite abruptly. Heather sighed as she put the phone down. "You really know how to choose them, Heather."

**A Fancy Restaurant in Gotham (3 years ago)**

Edward was a bit nervous. He simply sat there, waiting. This was going to be the big night, the night that would change his life forever. He reached into his pocket and held a small box; he began sweating nervously before placing it back into his pocket. Then she came in, just as beautiful as ever.

"Hi, Ed." She said while taking her seat "sorry I'm late, I got called in last minute for an important procedure."

"Oh no, it's okay." He said "I would have actually waited all night for you to get here, it was no big deal."

There was an awkward moment of silence, they could feel all the people at the restaurant staring at them, and then they burst into laughter.

"You're such a weirdo" she teased him.

"True, but that's what you like about me, right?"

Heather then turned to face the table "Right." She whispered to herself, doubtfully.

The two then spent the next several hours just talking about their day. Heather began talking about a weird patient she had while Edward talked about his students. Edward was a High School teacher, often seen as one of the best at the school where he worked. Although his students loved him, some of the staff and faculty thought his behavior was a bit inappropriate.

Heather's life in the hospital was even _more_ bizarre. All day there were transplants, surgeries, diagnosis, and even a few emergencies. Despite how different their lives were like, they felt better when they were together.

"Heather" Edward spoke up. "I asked you to come here because there's something I need to tell you." The young Doctor sat there as Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box "We've known each other since Middle School and I think that our relationship has been going well, so…" he then got on one knee and opened the box to reveal a 3.5 carat diamond ring "Heather Graham, will you marry me?"

Heather covered her mouth with her hands; this was something she didn't expect. She could feel the entire restaurant staring at her, waiting for her response, most cheering her on, the rest remaining silent. Heather then closed her eyes and after a long, anxious moment of silence she finally responded.

"I'm sorry Edward, but I can't marry you." The entire restaurant filled with gasps at her refusal. Edward stayed there, shocked.

"What? But…" he started before she cut him off.

"Look, Edward. You're a great man, but I met someone else a few weeks ago. He's a good man and I found myself happier with him than with you. I'm sorry, Edward." Heather got up from her seat and walked away, Edward simply stayed there, alone as the restaurant began to empty.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The Bat Cave**

Bruce sat by his computer, attempting to decipher the murder at the elevator using the evidence he received from Jim Gordon. There must be some sort of underlined message underneath. He analyzed the first Riddle that was found. The letter 'E' must be a clue to something, perhaps the killer's true name.

The only problem was that there were well over 30 names that start with that letter. If he wanted to catch the Riddler, Bruce needed something else. What puzzled him the most was this man's obsession with riddles, hence why the media chose to call him 'The Riddler', and the giant question mark on the elevator wall.

Alfred came in with a look of displeasure on his face. "I heard about your little alliance with the Police." He said walking towards the computer.

"I need their help in order to catch the Riddler, Alfred." Bruce responded.

"I don't trust that Gordon, and you shouldn't trust him either. In the moment you least expect it, he'll turn on you."

"Gordon is a good man. He is not corrupt, unlike the current captain and others in the Gotham PD."

"And how exactly do you think he will react once he learns who you are under that mask?"

Bruce turned towards Alfred, he pointed towards his own face "_This _is my real mask, Alfred."

"Alright, I'll let it slide for now. But how exactly do you plan to get in contact with him?"

"I gave him a little something for him to use in case he needs me. I asked Lucius to make me an untraceable communicator to get in contact with him."

"I still don't trust him, though"

**Gotham City Hall**

Mayor Gal looked out the window while the police captain and detectives James Gordon and Jacob Weaver entered his office. Mayor Gal seemed awfully young to be running the city of Gotham, the only reason he won the election of his first term was because something unfortunate happened to his opponent,

Now, his second term was filled with this bat vigilante running around the streets, punching criminals left and right. Needless to say, the Mayor wasn't happy.

"I ask you to do one thing, and now you're working with this 'Batman'?" he asked "It's bad enough Carmine already made death threats to me and my family because of what this maniac did to his son, and you're letting him help investigate this 'Riddler' murderer."

"Mr. Mayor" Gordon stepped forward "He can help us. It's thanks to him that we have a clue as to who the Riddler could be."

"A letter isn't a clue, Gordon."

"Not to worry, Mr. Mayor." The captain stepped forward "When this is over, we'll make sure this Batman is unmasked and sent to Arkham Asylum."

Just then the door opened and a woman walked in "Excuse me, Mr. Mayor, but there's a call for you on line 2."

"Send it through." The secretary left the room as the Mayor reached for the phone "Hello?"

"_Hello, Mr. Mayor_" said a voice on the other end "_If you don't mind me asking, would it be alright if I asked you a little question?_" Mayor Gal lifted a confused brow.

"Who is this?"

"_Well, your men call me 'Riddler' and I like it,_" The Mayor's eyes widened in horror "_Now, to why I called. I rigged the entire building with explosives and unless you answer my questions correctly they will detonate and the city hall will be blown sky-high and you along with it. Now, listen carefully. Riddle me this: I have billions of eyes, yet I live in darkness. I have millions of ears, yet only four lobes. I have no muscle, yet I rule two hemispheres. What am I?_"

The mayor began to sweat, this just wasn't his day. First he deals with threats against his own life and now his life depends on answering a question asked by some mad man who plans to kill not just him, but everyone in the entire building. He began to think, he wasn't exactly an expert on riddles.

"The human brain" said a deep voice, everyone turned to see Batman standing by the windowsill. There was a moment of silence then the building began to shake as if it was in the middle of an earthquake. Batman reached and grabbed the Mayor by the waste. "Get everyone out of here."

Batman and the Mayor then leaped out of the window, the vigilante reached for his belt and grabbed a grappling hook, aimed it at a nearby building and pulled the trigger. The two then zoomed towards the building before slowly beginning their descent onto the street floor.

Gordon, Weaver and the captain managed to get everyone out of the building just before it exploded. Several minutes later, the firemen and paramedics arrived at the scene. The firemen were trying to put out the flames caused by the explosion while the paramedics were tending to the people who barely managed to get out. Mayor Gal was currently speaking with an enraged Harvey Dent.

"Mr. Mayor, this man belongs in Arkham, and I'll see to it that he's prosecuted for his actions." Dent half-shouted at the Mayor.

"Mr. Dent, this man saved my life and those of my employees." The mayor counter argued "If he truly believes that he can stop this Riddler, then I see no reason why we shouldn't let him."

As this discussion was happening, Gordon approached the masked vigilante. "Did you give the wrong answer on purpose?" he asked, looking at the flaming ruins of the City Hall

"No, I gave the right answer, but he didn't care. It's all a big game to him." The vigilante responded.

"So, it didn't matter whether or not you gave the right answer, he was gonna blow it up anyway."

"Exactly." Batman then brought his hand to his chin "The human brain, it must imply that he sees himself as a superior mind. That he believes he's the smartest man in Gotham, and becomes violent when proven wrong."

"He has quite the ego." Gordon commented.

"That he does." Just then, the two noticed a figure walking away from the scene at a suspiciously fast pace. Batman's eyes narrowed as he chased after them. The figure turned right towards an alleyway. The vigilante chased after him, only to slip and fall down into the sewers.

**Gotham City Sewers**

Batman stood up to the retched smell of sewage water. Reaching for his belt, he grabbed a flashlight and used it to light the space around him. The place was even darker than the cave when he and Alfred first discovered it. The vigilante began looking around, trying to find a way out of the sewers. He turned towards the right upon hearing a growling sound and his eyes widened by what he saw.

Standing in front of him was a large, scaly mass of pure muscle, large claws and razor-sharp teeth. The large creature launched itself at him, pinning him against the wall. The vigilante tried to release the creature's grip on him by punching its arm to no avail.

The creature then launched him to the other side, Batman barely having time to react reached for his belt and pulled out a Taser firing at the creature causing it to scream in pain. Once the charge passed, Batman charged at the creature once again.

"LEAVE ME ALONE" said a rough voice, the vigilante stopped in his tracks as the large scaly creature stood up "Please, just leave me alone."

Batman, stunned to hear the creature talk, lowered his guard and walked cautiously towards it. "I thought you wanted to eat me."

The creature looked up at him "Eat you? Why would I do that? I don't eat people, I'm not a cannibal."

"You're a person then?"

"Of course I am, even if I don't look like one. My name is Waylon Jones, and I was born with a skin condition that, well, makes me look like this. When I was little, my mom gave me over to some Dr. Simon something so he would give me treatment. Instead the bastard sharpened my teeth and nails to make me look like a crocodile and sold me as a circus freak. I escaped and ended up here."

Batman took his light to get a better look at him, he was tall, muscular, and his eyes, which he previously thought were yellow, were actually lime green. "I am sorry, Waylon. I didn't mean to bother you; I was chasing someone and fell here by accident. I'm trying to find a way out."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Dr. Graham's Apartment**

Heather looked at the news, the city hall was lit a flames. Despite the fact that the mayor and his employees survived, the police attributed this to the actions of the criminal known as 'The Riddler'.

"Reports indicate that the mysterious vigilante known as Batman saved the mayor and helped evacuate the building moments before it exploded." Said the news reporter Vicki Vale.

Heather then walked towards the kitchen as the news report continued. This 'Riddler' seemed to have come out of nowhere, killed people in an elevator and nearly killed the Mayor and his staff. What did it all mean? Heather was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of shattering glass.

She turned to see a brick next to her living room window. She picked it up and her eyes widened to see a green question mark painted on it. Heather reached for the phone before her apartment became filled with noxious fumes; she coughed while trying to clear her apartment before she passed out on the floor.

**Gotham District Attorney's Office **

"Come on, Heather. Pick up already." Harvey whispered to himself. It wasn't like her not to answer her house phone. Something must have happened to her. "I need to tell the Mayor about this."

"You know he won't listen to you, Harvey" said the dark voice "The last thing he wants right now is get in the way of organized crime."

"It was Batman's fault. He should have let the police do their job."

"Yeah, because the police doesn't allow these things to happen." The voice then began to chuckle. Harvey gritted his teeth at the voice's sarcasm. "If you ask me, you should go look for her yourself. No one else is gonna help you, Harvey."

A knock on the door ended the conversation; Harvey opened it only to see a box with a green question mark on the lid labeled: 'From Mr. E'. He picked up the box and opened it and it was full of pictures of a tied up bleeding Heather along with what looked like a chemical set, an ace of spades and another card with a message on it.

"Riddle Me This: A thousand colored folds stretch toward the sky, Atop a tender strand, Rising from the land, 'Til killed by maiden's hand, Perhaps a token of love, perhaps to say goodbye. What is it?" Harvey's mind widened at the sudden realization. "He has Heather."

**Gotham City Police Department**

Detective Gordon and the rest of the Gotham PD stared at the message on the build board next to a chemical set and an ace of spades; all of them found in Harvey Dent's office. The message had a large green question mark on the back of it; clearly it was yet another message from the Riddler which read:

'Riddle Me This: A thousand colored folds stretch toward the sky,

Atop a tender strand,

Rising from the land,

'Til killed by maiden's hand,

Perhaps a token of love, perhaps to say goodbye. What is it?'

Batman had arrived several minutes back and was in the process of solving said riddle.

"A thousand colored folds could be a reference to pedals of some kind, killed by a maiden's hand is exactly what it says, a token of love means giving it to someone you care for as a present or at a funeral. A Flower." He said, solving the riddle.

One of the detectives walked up to the board and wrote the word flower below the message.

"So, the Riddler sent us a riddle about a flower." Gordon stated.

"That still doesn't tell us where the Riddler took Heather" Dent commented, somewhat irritated.

Batman looked at the build board, there had to be some kind of underlining message underneath it. All of these things had to mean something. Clearly they were clues, but to what? Batman walked up to the front and began scratching his chin.

"I believe these clues will give us the answer." The vigilante commented turning towards the board "The Riddler sees this as a game and will want us to participate. He believes himself to be the smartest man in the entire city so he left us these clues to figure out where he's holding Dr. Graham. If we analyze the he left for us, I believe that if we find Dr. Graham, we'll be one step closer to stopping the Riddler. We should begin with the Ace of Spades" Said playing card had the vigilante scratching his head; clearly it was trying to tell them something. An Ace of Spades. What did it all mean? "The Ace of Spades must have some sort of meaning, the chemical set could imply something related to chemistry, and the riddle is about a…plant." Batman's eyes widened at the sudden realization. "The Ace Chemical Plant."

Dent gasped at the vigilante's sudden words "How can you be sure?" he asked "I somehow have a hard time believing what you just said."

"Believe what you will, Mr. Dent, but first let me ask you this. What connection does a playing card have with chemicals and a flower?" was the vigilante's only response to the district attorney "What I still haven't figured out is why he took her or who he is."

Dent then walked up to the masked man and looked him dead in the eyes "This changes nothing." He growled "When this is done, you'll be spending a great deal of time in Arkham Asylum."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Dent" Batman then walked towards Gordon. Dent's look hardened at the masked vigilante's neutral response to his threat of putting him in Arkham and he stormed out of the room.

Before anything else could happen, however, the power of the entire station went out. Everyone looked around in confusion. Gordon reached for his gun before being smacked in the head. The police turned to see Carmine Falcone standing on top of the detective.

"Well, would you look at this" Carmine spoke "We seem to have a full house."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Gotham City Supreme Court House (3 years ago)**

Harvey Dent walked out of the court house; he had just won another case and it only seems fitting that he celebrates with the woman he found himself attracted to. She was currently standing outside of the court house, a look of depression on her face, almost as if she had just done something she regretted.

"Are you okay." He asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded "I just feel a bit awful right now."

"He didn't take it very well?"

"He proposed to me just before I told him."

The district attorney's jaw dropped at her sudden words, he knew this Edward was madly in love with her, but even _he _didn't expect to hear of a proposal. Heather then lowered her head to the ground; Harvey brought her close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

Harvey had never really meat this Edward, but judging from what Heather told him, he was a good man, a little egotistical but highly intelligent.

But to think that Heather would reject his proposal was something he wasn't expecting.

**Gotham City Police Department**

The situation had just gotten out of hand. First Dr. Graham is kidnapped by the Riddler, and now the Carmine Falcone was attacking the police station.

"You had one job, captain." He said reaching for his gun "Send this Bat freak to Arkham and stay out of our business. But you just couldn't do that."

The captain walked towards the Crime Lord, his hands shaking. "Don't worry, we'll see to it when we solve this current case."

"Sorry, that won't do. It seems you forgot that there's a certain way we do things here. We do whatever the hell we want and you look the other way and keep your mouth shut so we don't target your loved ones. You step out of line, and we come get you."

"Scum like you belongs in the gutter." The vigilante stepped forward.

"And this coming from the man who murdered my son." Falcone aimed his gun towards Batman.

"Your son was a thug, just like you. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Consider it his punishment for that girl he raped."

"I didn't come here for you to give me lip, Batman." Carmine spat before turning to face the captain "So, captain. How are we gonna do this?" One of Falcone's men then grabbed Dent by the arm before smashing a Molotov on the right side his face, burning half of it. "Consider this your first and only warning."

Falcone turned around only to be punched in the face. "The only place _you're_ going is Iron Heights Prison" Batman stated. The Police, seeing the masked vigilante stand up to the crime lord, pulled out their guns and pointed them at Falcone's men.

As a gun fight ensued inside the Gotham PD, Batman chased after Falcone. The vigilante began to fight the crime lord. The vigilante threw punches, but Carmine countered by slashing his leg with his knife. Batman groaned in pain as the crime lord placed the knife on the vigilante's throat.

"If you had simply let things go on the way they were, this wouldn't be happening." Carmine pressed the knife on Batman's neck and the vigilante drew blood. Carmine then let out a painful scream as he felt his back being sliced. The crime lord turned and his eyes widened in horror, standing there was a large scaly mass of pure muscle, long claws and razor sharp teeth. The large creature grabbed the crime lord by the neck and began to squeeze. Falcone struggled to free himself from the creature's grip, he began kicking while grasping for air.

"Waylon, stop." Batman shouted, Waylon turned towards the vigilante, then to the crime lord, and then loosened his grip on the man's neck. Just then, Gordon ran up to them and pulled out his gun at the large figure in front of him. "Gordon, put the gun down." Gordon turned to the vigilante with a surprised look on his face. "It's okay, he's on our side." Gordon turned to Waylon, who had a smug look on his face. The detective then put his gun away and turned towards the Crime Lord

"Carmine Falcone, you're under arrest." He declared before placing a pair of handcuffs on the crime lord's wrists. "That takes care of that problem."

"How is Mr. Dent?" Batman asked.

"He's alive, if that's what you're asking. Half of his face was burned off." He then turned as many police cars showed up on the scene. "I feel I should thank you. With your help, we managed to put Falcone and his entire family out of the streets for good."

Batman smiled at the detective, then noticed the tears in his suit. Gordon off took his jacket and tried to give it to him, but the vigilante held his hand up. "It's okay, I have spares. You go on ahead to the Ace Chemical Plant; I'll catch up to you as soon as I can."

**The Bat Cave**

Alfred examined the tears on the suit Bruce was wearing before his bout with Carmine Falcone. The fabric was torn, pieces of the mask were broken, and the cape was rendered completely useless.

"I must say," The Butler turned towards the young man "This fabric isn't exactly something you get at a shop."

"This is why I ordered extra, Alfred." Bruce stated as he walked towards a particular room in the cave.

"Sometimes I feel that you're not ready for this. Falcone isn't the only big name crime boss out there." Bruce lowered his head to the ground.

"That's why I do this, Alfred. To make sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to anyone else."

Bruce walked into the room; the room was small and had a small dresser in the center. Bruce switched for the light switch and the room was filled with a bright white light. The light revealed a framed photo of a man who looked similar to Bruce, albeit much older, wearing a dark blue business suit. Next to him was a woman of roughly the same age, with short brown hair wearing a long red dress with a fur coat and a pearl necklace around her neck. In between the two was a young boy, about eight years old, wearing a small black suit, a white shirt and a bow tie. Bruce then turned towards the dresser and pulled the upper drawer, inside were various photos of the same people on the framed picture on the dresser.

There were pictures of several parties, vacations, and various other events. Bruce closed the drawer and opened the middle one to reveal newspaper clippings of the same couple, this time laying in an alleyway surrounded by two puddles of blood, the same young boy with a traumatized look on his face, a headline that read: **Billionaire and wife shot by mugger in alleyway outside Movie Theater. **There was also another newspaper clipping, this time with the picture of a man in his fifties of sixties, wearing a cap with a green jacket. The headline read: **Joe Chill found guilty of the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne.**

Bruce closed the drawer and opened the bottom drawer which contained many suits similar to the one he was using. Reaching in, he pulled out one of the suits. Alfred stood next to the computer screen as Bruce exited the room containing his suits.

"Alfred" Bruce said "Can you bring up the Riddler files?"

"Of course." The butler walked towards the computer and punched in a few keys and all the files on the Riddler case appeared on the screen. "If I may ask, what exactly do you intend to find?"

"I've been trying to figure out what the Riddler is up to. He must have kidnapped Dr. Graham, but why? The message he left Mr. Dent gives us the where, but one thing I find interesting is the part of the box that went unnoticed. It was labeled 'From Mr. E' If we consider that, along with the fact the first message he left us had the letter 'E' as the answer, that letter must have some level of importance."

Alfred scratched his chin "'Mr. E' could also have another meaning. He's obsessed with riddles, and they all have one thing in common. Mystery."

"Mystery, Mr. E" Bruce's eyes widened "What's another word for mystery."

"Enigma"

"Enigma. E. Nygma" Batman punched on his computer and pulled out a file "And I think we just found our suspect."

Bruce rose from the computer staring at the suspect's face before walking towards his vehicle.

"May I ask where you're going?" Alfred asked.

"The Riddler is holding Dr. Graham at the Ace Chemical Plant, I'm going there to stop him" Bruce responded with certainty in his voice.

"But, sir, why must you do this?"

Bruce said nothing as he turned toward his butler, the two locked eyes with each other. Silently, Bruce lifted the mask over his face "Because I have to, Alfred."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Ace Chemical Plant**

Doctor Graham had spent yet another sleepless night. She didn't know where she was, how she got there, or why she was there in the first place. From what she understood, the Red Hood had taken her there as a favor for the Riddler. But why? What did _she _ever do to that Riddle obsessed maniac?

"Why, hello Dr. Graham." Said an all too familiar voice "Please, can I call you Heather?"

Heather's eyes narrowed as if to think, where had she heard that voice before? There was something about it that sounded so familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Have you really forgotten me?" The voice responded somewhat irritated "So, I'm not even good enough for you to remember?"

"What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?

"Let me answer that question with another question. I can't be bought, but I can be stolen with a glance. I'm worthless to one, but priceless to two. What am I?"

The owner of the voice then walked into the light revealing a tall, slim man with dark brown hair wearing a green suit and hat with a purple question mark on it, carrying a golden cane shaped like a question mark and a purple mask covering his cheek bones. Dr. Graham's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the man standing in front of her.

"Ed?" she asked in disbelief.

"Bingo" The Riddler responded "Although the real answer is 'Love', which I thought you felt towards me."

"Edward, I told you that I…"

"You said you met someone else, you never said it was Harvey Dent. What, did you chose him because you thought he was better than me?"

"Ed, what are you…"

"Oh, you thought I wouldn't notice? Don't fool yourself, Heather. You thought a simple High School teacher wasn't good enough for the oh so great Dr. Heather Graham, but Harvey Dent, the then soon to become District Attorney seemed like a much better option."

"Ed, that's not true."

"Isn't it? ISN'T IT!?" The Riddler slammed his cane on the floor "Do you know how I felt that night at the restaurant after you left? I felt humiliated, I felt like my very existence was meaningless. I was never good enough for you; I was _never _good enough for ANYONE. Did I ever tell you I loved riddles when I was a child? Well, after you left me at the restaurant, I thought about ending my life, but as I was about to I discovered my old riddle book that I won at a contest in elementary school. This reminded me of my superior mind, and given the fact that I was viewed as lesser by everyone I ever met, including _you_, the woman I loved, I decided to prove you wrong, to prove them all wrong. I became a master of puzzles, the most brilliant mind in the entire city, and no one would ever doubt me again. So, on that day I gave myself a new name, and hence forth I became known as The Riddler."

Heather lowered her head to the ground; she never expected this to happen. She knew Edward had an ego, but never expected it to be _this _big; and what's worse, she felt somewhat responsible for pushing him into a life of crime.

"Edward, I'm sorry." She gasped.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you." The Riddler responded sarcastically.

"I'm sorry your life turned out this way. I wish I could make it up to you."

"Oh, that you can, Heather. You see, I have a little favor to ask of you. No doubt the police will be here at any second, and so I've put together a situation which they will have to solve, and guess what? You'll play a huge part in it." Suddenly, the sound of police sirens began to echo throughout the chemical plant. "And would you look at that. It looks like they're finally here."

Outside of the plant, several police and S.W.A.T. units began to surround the entrance, a team holding a battering ram bashed it against the door. Commissioner Gordon was the first one to enter as a large monitor lit up revealing a large green question mark on the screen. Several of the officers held their guns at the ready in case something happened.

The image on the screen then shifted to show a man with a purple mask covering his cheek bones wearing a green hat with a question mark on it, a matching green suit and carrying a golden question mark shaped cane.

"Hello, members of the Gotham City Police Department. You probably already know who I am, and in case you don't I am the Riddler. Now as I'm sure you know, I have taken the 'good' Dr. Heather Graham and am currently holding her as my hostage."

"Let the woman go, you maniac." Gordon shouted, pointing his gun at the screen.

"Not so fast, Commissioner" The Riddler pressed a button that caused the chain to drop before stopping mere inches away from the chemicals "I have a little game, and this game has rules." The screen then shifted to show Dr. Graham with a chain wrapped around her body above a large container with a sign that read **Dangerous Chemicals** "As you can see, Dr. Graham is currently hanging from a chain over a vat of dangerous chemicals. The game goes as follows, I will give you a series of riddles to solve, and you will have only five minutes to solve each of them. Whoever guesses three out of five wins, if you win I'll let Dr. Graham go, but if you lose, well, need I say more?"

Gordon turned towards his men; they all had looks of uncertainty on their faces. Sighing, he lowered his gun. "Very well, we'll do things your way."

"Wonderful, I knew you would see things my way, Commissioner. Now, let's begin. Riddle me this: I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?" All the policemen began shaking nervously, Commissioner Gordon heard a buzzing sound coming from his pocket, he reached in and noticed a bat shaped image on the screen of his phone, he sighed and placed it back in his pocket.

"Times up" the Riddler said "Oh, please detective, that Riddle was one of the easiest. The answer was a grape."

"We're done playing your games, you maniac." One of the officers shouted before rushing forward, only for the chain to be dropped abruptly before stopping.

"Oh no, you don't" The Riddler responded, tapping the button with his finger "You want the good doctor to go unharmed; you need to play by the rules."

Gordon turned to his men and nodded to them. "Fine" he said "Let's just keep going."

"Alright then, now to our second riddle. Riddle me this: If you know me, you'll want to share me; but if you share me, I'll be gone. What am I?" The Red Hood then took out a pocket watch and started a timer.

The officers began to think, some started to whisper while the rest scratched their heads in frustration. Gordon turned towards a nearby window and smirked to himself.

"So, Detective; no response? Does this mean you forfeit? The Riddler asked mockingly.

"I wouldn't say that, you mad man. Just like you, we have someone else working with us." Just then, the glass of the window Gordon was looking at shattered and a figure in all black landed in front of the policemen.

"Well, we seem to have an uninvited guest." The Riddler spoke as Batman turned towards the screen "How exactly where you able to find us?"

"It wasn't hard" The Vigilante responded "I was able to solve all of your riddles as well as discover the underlying message you left in them. And I'm here to tell you, it all ends here, Edward Nygma."

The Riddler's eyes narrowed at the vigilante's words, he never expected someone who could deduce his identity the way _he _did. He figured the police would never solve his little game and he would prove he was the greatest mind in all of Gotham.

Just then, there was a light scream as the chain lowered before suddenly stopping. The Riddler turned towards Dr. Graham and gave off a sinister grin. "It looks like your time is up; the answer was 'A Secret'. But don't worry, the fun is just beginning. Next, Riddle me this: What is brown, has a head, a tail, and no legs?"

Batman gave a confident smirk "A penny." He responded, the Riddler's eyes widened at the quick response as the chain holding Dr. Graham was being lifted to its previous position.

The Riddler growled at the situation "How? How did you solve it? No one should have solved my riddle, you must have cheated."

"Or maybe, you're not as smart as you thought you were."

The Riddler's eyes narrowed at the vigilantes words "We'll see about that. Now; Riddle me this: I am the part of the bat that is not in the sky. I sore through water and yet I am dry. What am I?"

Before the vigilante could give an answer, Commissioner Gordon stepped forward "This one is easy." He said "A shadow."

The chain holding Dr. Graham rose even higher, the Riddler growled in frustration that he was being outsmarted.

"You think you're so clever, don't you Gordon?" The Riddler asked furiously.

"I think we would take you more seriously if you didn't treat this as a game." The Commissioner responded "And just you wait, when this is over the only ones who will listen to your riddles will be the doctors and inmates at Arkham Asylum."

The Riddler glared at Gordon "Very well then, last riddle. I feel your every move; I know your every thought. I'm there from your birth and I'll see how you rot. I am your shadow, you'll never be free. Riddle me this, the answer is..."

"You" Batman quickly responded "You're the answer, Riddler."

"How, how did you do it?"

"It wasn't that hard. That riddle is merely a manifestation of your inflated ego." The vigilante then took a step forward. "We played your game, Nygma. Let the doctor go."

"Oh, you think it's over?" The Riddler asked sarcastically "Ha, this isn't over until I say it's over. You want me to release Dr. Graham, first you'll have to find us."

The screen then turned off as the lights went on. The Red Hood and his gang then stepped forward.

"That is where we come in" the Red Hood spoke up "You want to reach Dr. Graham and the doctor, you need to go through us, first."

The screen then went black, Batman turned towards Gordon and his men. "We should split up and search for them."

"Sounds good, but remember. I want this done by the book." Gordon responded, the vigilante responded.

"I never really expected anyone to get this far" The Riddler's voice echoed throughout the plant "I must say, if you hadn't cheated I'd be impressed."

"Maybe that's because you're just a sore loser." Batman responded.

"I haven't lost yet. If you think you can just come in and think that you can easily outsmart me you've got another thing coming." The Riddler was inside a giant control room with multiple screens covering every section of the chemical plant; next to him was a tied up Heather Graham, tears rolling down her face. To think she inadvertently caused this.

"Edward, you don't have to do this." She pleaded with him.

"Don't I, Heather?" The Riddler asked mockingly "All my life I've been talked down, now is my moment of triumph and I won't let some nobody dressed as a bat ruin it."

"I have a riddle for you, Nygma" Batman's voice echoed throughout the room "What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?"

"Ha, that riddle isn't even worth my genius." The Riddler spat before beginning to think, but he was drawing a blank. He didn't understand if it was talking about _him _specifically or if it was a general riddle. He began to think, something that's yours but others use it more. It seemed like a simple question, but the Riddler felt as if they were toying with him.

"Times up, Riddler" the vigilante said after a few minutes of silence "The answer is 'Your Name'"

"How?" The Riddler asked enraged "How did you do it? How did you solve all of my riddles? How where you able to outwit me? You're _not _smarter than me. You _can't_ be smarter than me. You must have cheated! THAT is the only way. How did you do it? WHO ARE YOU?"

A light then filled the room and a bat shaped shadow loomed over Dr. Graham and the Riddler. The two turned to see Batman standing in front of a large light, his cape extended to resemble the wings of an actual bat. The Riddler began to shake in fear at the vigilante's intimidating gaze.

"I'm Batman" he declared. The Riddler tried to run; Batman saw this and lunged forward to catch him. The vigilante grabbed the Riddler by his shirt before punching him in the face, rendering him unconscious.

Dr. Graham's legs began to shake as she attempted to stand and walk towards the Riddler. She knelt down and whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry, Edward." She let out a few sobs before continuing "I never meant to hurt you, but I want to help you."

"Dr. Graham?" Batman walked towards her. The woman turned towards the masked vigilante. "It's over. You're safe."

**Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane.**

Dr. Graham looked into a cell, inside was the man she used to love. Edward Nygma was currently talking to a psychiatrist, a woman in her thirties with long blonde hair, tied in an upside ponytail, wearing a white shirt, a black skirt and a pair of glasses. On her shirt was a name tag that read: **Dr. Harleen Quinzel**.

Dr. Quinzel sat at the opposite end of the cell as Edward Nygma began talking about his childhood and upbringing.

"I always knew I was smarter than everyone else, but I never felt the need to prove it." He began narrating "I once entered a contest when I was a kid and won. The price included a riddle book. I won thanks to my superior mind, though some accused me of cheating."

Dr. Graham watched as the session went on, it had been like this for the past few days. Heather felt as if her entire world had crumbled, first Edward becomes the Riddler, then Harvey is hospitalized by Carmine Falcone, and now Edward is an inmate at Arkham Asylum.

She turned back to Edwards who was still talking to Dr. Quinzel.

"When I first started teaching, some of my coworkers thought I was a little rough on the students. They just couldn't understand I was simply trying to educate them in my own way. It wasn't until that day at the restaurant that I was reminded of my superior mind and my love of riddles. The day I became the Riddler. And you know what happened next."

"Thank you, Edward." Dr. Quinzel responded "That will be all for today."

**Home of Mayor Benito J. Gal**

Mayor Gal came home with a look of relief on his face. He was just informed by Commissioner Gordon that Batman apprehended Carmine Falcone and his entire posy. Needless to say, the Mayor felt like he could finally relax, knowing his family would be safe.

He entered his home and noticed someone siting on his living room couch. It was an African American woman, likely in her early fifties. She had a rather robust built, short black hair, and dark brown eyes. The woman was wearing a rather formal suit and had a rather annoyed look on her face.

"Good evening, Mr. Mayor." She said "My name is Amanda Waller, I'm with the NSA. I was sent here under direct order of the President."

Mayor Gal walked up to the woman and sat on the other side of the couch. "Alright, Miss Waller" he responded "What is the NSA doing in Gotham?"

"From what I understand, there is a vigilante in this city. I'm more than certain that you're aware of this, but you can't simply let this man run around the city taking justice into his own hand. There are laws against that."

"The man saved me and my family. Whatever he plans to do, I won't hold it against him."

"I figured you'd say that." Waller then rose to her feet "It's your city and whatever you plan to do with it is your decision. Just remember, the NSA is watching you."


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Edward sat in his cell. This whole thing led him to realize that he couldn't win. Well, he was already in Arkham. What else could he lose? His thoughts were interrupted by the echo of a sudden and uncontrollable burst of hysterical laughter. He looked around and noticed it was coming from the cell across from him.

Inside the cell was the slim silhouette of a man shrouded in darkness. The man inside was cackling like a maniac.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked somewhat annoyed.

"Oh nothing" the man responded "I was just reminded of a joke."

"Would you mind telling it to me?" Edward raised a brow; the other man simply chuckled at his request.

"You wouldn't get it. It's between him and me." The man looked out the window to see the shadow of a bat covering the night sky.

Edward then noticed a guard walking down the hall. "I see you two have meat." The guard said jokingly.

"What is wrong with him?" Edward asked pointing at his fellow inmate.

"That's a good question, if only there was an answer. He just came here one day, cackling like a maniac. We checked everything on him and found nothing. No birth certificate, no finger prints, no identification, nothing. It's like he doesn't even exist. We don't even know his name but he calls himself 'Joker'."

**And that was the first story of my DC Universe series. What did you guys think. This was a concept I had in mind for a while and after thinking it over and over, I decided to finally start working on and uploading it.**

**As always, please read and review and I will see you next time with Superman.**


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